Six indigent, elderly, and disabled individuals, who stood up for their rights and the rights of others, were vindicated when U.S. District Court Judge Gold entered an order solidifying a settlement agreement between them and the Hialeah Housing Authority (HHA).

The plaintiffs alleged that the HHA illegally denied their applications for Section 8 vouchers by requesting irrelevant documents (often impossible to produce), engaging in sham hearings, and failing to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled persons to apply for the Section 8 program, in violation of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Housing Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.

HHA agreed to provide the plaintiffs with long-overdue vouchers as well as $254,000 in damages, attorneys fees and costs.

The Consent Decree also requires HHA to follow new procedures which conform to federal and state law, guaranteeing a just process for all applicants.

The case was co-counseled by LSGMI attorneys, Jeffrey Hearne and Sean Rowley, and Florida Justice Institute attorneys, Randy Berg and Shawn Heller.